Bose Question

[prism]

I know Bose speakers/receivers are overpriced and all that, but are they really poor quality and not just mediocre? I've looked at the page denouncing Bose, but all the technical stuff makes my head hurt. I just want some simple info to help me convince my friend not to purchase Bose, and also some recommendations on similarly-sized satellite speakers.

Oh, and for a quick laugh for everyone reading, when I got my first DVD player back in 2000 it was an open box item w/o A/V cables and Best Buy suckered me into buying $40 Monster A/V cables. Not composite, not S-Video, but A/V cables.... :beer:

 

[newb111]

They aren't horrible, but the value is. You can get quality comparable to the bose for 1/4 the price.

 

[Chryso]

The only thing more awesome than Bose is typing with caps lock on.

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: newb111
They aren't horrible, but the value is. You can get quality comparable to the bose for 1/4 the price.

he knows that. He's looking for some actual brand/model names to tell his buddy.

 

[newb111]

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: newb111
They aren't horrible, but the value is. You can get quality comparable to the bose for 1/4 the price.

he knows that. He's looking for some actual brand/model names to tell his buddy.

I answered his question "but are they really poor quality and not just mediocre?"

 

[Gibson486]

It is not horrible, but its not excellent. They are better than just mediocre, but they are no where near the top. To an average consumer, it's more than enough. It's kind of like paying a premium to make sure you do not get the worst of the worst. Also, they have pretty good customer service (atleast the headphone division does).

 

[sdifox]

Should have gone over to Audio Visual and Home Theatre, the sticky post at the top will answer you questions.

A good indication of crappy speaker is the presence of plastic in the enclosure. And I don't mean just the namebrand tag.

 

[Jhill]

If your friend doesn't blow his money on Bose, eventually he will on something else equally as stupid. I say just let him get them.

 

[rockyct]

When my family was shopping for home theater speaker about seven years ago, we went into looking to buy Bose, but quickly got won over by Polk. There's a reason why you never see Bose in the same listening rooms as other brands. They just aren't even close to the same quality as other brands in that price range. I think Polk has gotten more popular over the last few years, so there's probably a better value in a different brand.

 

[torpid]

Mirage Omnisat Micros are similar in dimensions and sound significantly better for a similar price range. Generally speaking, though, tiny speakers aren't going to sound as good as bookshelf speakers in the same price range due to basic physics.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Check out section 2.5
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2099593&enterthread=y

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Bose branded speakers weren't too bad back before they started marketing their clock radio and home theater systems. Their clock radio offers very good sound for a clock radio, but is highly overpriced. Their home theater setups are a joke, but most buyers aren't comparing them to other home theater systems, but rather to internal TV speakers - obviously they fare well in such a comparison.

I was recently pained to find that my mother replaced her existing living-room stereo, a perfectly serviceable set of older Sony components with full-size speakers, with a Bose clock radio. She seems to have bought the hype, and talked herself into believing that the sound is comparable to what she had. I wish she'd asked me first . . .

 

[Soundmanred]

My friend bought these with his stimulus package check, and he loves them more than his Infinity IL40's and his Monster Cable.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Prism
I know Bose speakers/receivers are overpriced and all that, but are they really poor quality and not just mediocre? I've looked at the page denouncing Bose, but all the technical stuff makes my head hurt. I just want some simple info to help me convince my friend not to purchase Bose, and also some recommendations on similarly-sized satellite speakers.

Oh, and for a quick laugh for everyone reading, when I got my first DVD player back in 2000 it was an open box item w/o A/V cables and Best Buy suckered me into buying $40 Monster A/V cables. Not composite, not S-Video, but A/V cables.... :beer:

dont feel bad, my grad present from my mom was a yamaha studio amp/ av controller and speakers. system is awesome, sounds great. the prob was, they sold a few different brands of wire, but it was all black or brown. i wanted white, and she didnt want to shop around for it so ended up buying the white monster that was there. i didnt want to pay for the monster, told the sales guy how i felt and he knocked off 25% at least. but it still cost about 50 bucks for what i needed. only thing i noticed different than other wire types were it was finer strands, and lots of em. insulation was thicker too. neither will enhance their performance in my eyes tho. i used to think the stranded was better than solid, but i learned i was wrong here on atot.

 

[montypythizzle]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Prism
I know Bose speakers/receivers are overpriced and all that, but are they really poor quality and not just mediocre? I've looked at the page denouncing Bose, but all the technical stuff makes my head hurt. I just want some simple info to help me convince my friend not to purchase Bose, and also some recommendations on similarly-sized satellite speakers.

Oh, and for a quick laugh for everyone reading, when I got my first DVD player back in 2000 it was an open box item w/o A/V cables and Best Buy suckered me into buying $40 Monster A/V cables. Not composite, not S-Video, but A/V cables.... :beer:

dont feel bad, my grad present from my mom was a yamaha studio amp/ av controller and speakers. system is awesome, sounds great. the prob was, they sold a few different brands of wire, but it was all black or brown. i wanted white, and she didnt want to shop around for it so ended up buying the white monster that was there. i didnt want to pay for the monster, told the sales guy how i felt and he knocked off 25% at least. but it still cost about 50 bucks for what i needed. only thing i noticed different than other wire types were it was finer strands, and lots of em. insulation was thicker too. neither will enhance their performance in my eyes tho. i used to think the stranded was better than solid, but i learned i was wrong here on atot.

Well, stranded is better in many ways. For spring type terminals and binding posts w/o banana plugs, the stranded will theoretically give a better connection since it will conform and will smash down better therefore have a better connection. However with soldered connections the solid will be better since the you will cover the whole outside of the solid core. With either connection you will probably not be getting 100% of the capabilities of the connection.

 

[sdifox]

Once I got invited to a house (well, condo) warming party and the dude was beaming over his Bose acoustimass pos. I had to control myself in terms of my remark. Didn't help the guy always rubbed me the wrong way (not on purpose, just how he is) but I did not really want to lose my temper on him.

 

[Dman877]

Bose spends 90% of their budget on marketing and 10% on R&D. That mix is the polar opposite of every good speaker company out there.

Their systems are always displayed separately. In some stores, they even have their own room and hiding behind that room is $100,000 worth of electronics too make the system sound decent. They use too much plastic, their "subs" use 5 inch drivers in a low density (as opposed to the industry standard and superior medium density) fiberboard enclosure with a crossover set way too high (due to the fact that the satellites don't produce any usable output below 200hz).

Take your friend to a good shop and ask the salesman for Bose alternatives. Tell them you know Bose is a gimmick and they'll be happy to show you many superior options.

 

[s44]

Try the Gallos. Excellent sound in cute round packages.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: sdifox
Once I got invited to a house (well, condo) warming party and the dude was beaming over his Bose acoustimass pos. I had to control myself in terms of my remark. Didn't help the guy always rubbed me the wrong way (not on purpose, just how he is) but I did not really want to lose my temper on him.

LOL...reminds me of years ago, the GF I had before my wife went to a friend's, and her BF or husband, don't remember which, had just gotten a high-dollar Bose setup, and we bragging about it all night.
She came back and told me "it wasn't shit compared to yours".

So a week or two later, we had an impromptu gathering at my house, and someone suggested I put a movie on.
Her friend and her husband were there.

As I was firing up the system, I casually said to him "I heard you got a new HT system".

"yeah, I love it".

After we got done with Jurassic Park, the Goat scene, he didn't have much else to say.

At the time I had my Definitive 5.1 setup, with an M&K sub and Yamaha receiver. The main Definitives also have powered subs in them. So I guess it's really a 5.3 setup. Or was then.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

At the time I had my Definitive 5.1 setup, with an M&K sub and Yamaha receiver. The main Definitives also have powered subs in them. So I guess it's really a 5.3 setup. Or was then.

Which ones? I am running BP-2000TL, CLR2000 and BP10B

 

[manimal]

Bose is made for old people who buy buicks and lincolns....


Id rather buy insignia products....

 

[biggestmuff]

Even a set of Cambridge SoundWorks will save him money and sound and look very similar if your friend is trying to buy small, non-obtrusive speakers.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: manimal
Bose is made for old people who buy buicks and lincolns....


Id rather buy insignia products....

I like to think of their target market as The Shopping Channel preferred customers. Sadly my wife likes to buy Proactiv so I have to live with the stain of having TSC on my CC bill

 

[Illusio]

I have recently been searching for an good "bose alternative" with a high WAF. I finally settled on a set of Orbs. I got the Mod2's in Brused Metal. (wife picked out the finish, so I know she is happy at least)

I spent a lot of time in various forums looking for good recommendations. Mine arrive on Friday so I'm hoping they sound as good as people say. With a 30 day, no questions asked, refund policy, I'm not worried about not hearing them yet.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: manimal
Bose is made for old people who buy buicks and lincolns....


Id rather buy insignia products....

I like to think of their target market as The Shopping Channel preferred customers. Sadly my wife likes to buy Proactiv so I have to live with the stain of having TSC on my CC bill

Why keep buying Proactiv? Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, and anyone else making acne meds has a similar "kit" available at pharmacies and supermarkets, just buy one of those. It's all benzoyl peroxide, lotion, and salicylic acid anyways...